Santa Monica’s best example of a Googie coffee shop is at risk of redevelopement. The Los Angeles Conservancy partnered with the Santa Monica Conservancy to submit and nomination of the building as a Santa Monica Landmark, which would create meaningful protections for the site.

The Penguin at 1670 Lincoln Boulevard was built in 1959 and displays signature design elements that exemplify the Googie coffee shop style of the 1950’s. The building covers 4,800 sq. ft. and consists of two interconnected volumes. The front volume features a characteristically dramatic Googie coffee shop roofline. A rear utilitarian volume with a flat roof has a non-rectilinear footprint reflecting the stylized forms of the front. An addition made three years later in 1962, clad in the same materials as the original, was added so early that it is within the period of significance of the structure. An asphalt parking lot wraps around the west and north sides.

The angular roof and the glass walls of the primary façade fronting Lincoln Boulevard are the dominant architectural features of the Penguin. The roof forms a fairly symmetrical steep gable shape. Dramatically scaled to impress, it features a deep overhang, thick edge, and corners coming close to the ground. The peak of the angular roof is thrusts forward, like the prow of a ship. At each corner of the roof are rough-cut stone pseudo-piers, that appear to be supporting the roof, but are actually stone facings on flat planes, which, as they continue into the interior, enclose seating areas.

The extensive use of glass for the exterior walls on the east and north facades exposes the interior to public view from the street, a characteristic feature of Googie architecture. The interior is a reconstruction that responds to the original coffee shop design for use by Mel’s Drive-In, the current tenant, who worked closely with historic preservation consultants to ensure accuracy and compliance with preservation standards. The typology of the horizontal lunch counter, booths with tables, and other interior furnishings, while not part of the original construction intentionally reference the originals. The counter stools and floating light fixtures, features that define the dining room and which are prominently visible from the street, are faithful reproductions. The landscaping along Lincoln Boulevard and the north side with succulents and palm trees, reflects the original typology of landscape settings that were prevalent for Googie coffee shops.

The exterior retains its original architectural features and manifests a high level of integrity. The neon sign is largely intact as well, although partially altered to meet the needs of the current tenant. The interior, although reconstructed and recreated in recent years, reflects the design of the original with the most notable and visible original features faithfully reproduced.